Americans for Prosperity is a front for corporate interests

April 15, 2010

In about 30 seconds, thanks to sourcewatch.com, I found out that Americans for Prosperity, which is described as a "grass-roots, free market advocacy organization" by op-ed writer Dave Schwartz (Tea party, 1 year later," April 15), is nothing more than a corporate front group. Formerly called Citizens for a Sound Economy, AFP has a record of advocating for the tobacco industry to oppose cigarette taxes and indoor smoking bans and is largely funded by the Koch Family Foundations and Scaife Family Foundations. The Koch Foundations are funded entirely by the Koch Group, the largest privately owned energy company in the U.S. The Scaife Foundations funded most of the "Whitewater" harassment of Bill Clinton.

AFP is much like Tea Party Express, led by former House Majority Leader turned super corporate lobbyist Dick Armey. Both organizations would wither and die were it not for the financial lifeline they get from corporate interests who enjoy hoodwinking a gullible public.